Home Affairs Minister urges DKPP to actively prevent election violations

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has encouraged the Election Organisers Ethics Council (DKPP) to be active and strengthen efforts to prevent ethical violations in the administration of elections, rather than solely focusing on handling cases after breaches occur.

“A preventive approach needs to be considered. In my view, DKPP should not merely wait for and adjudicate ethical violations, but can also contribute to prevention efforts by addressing various factors that could potentially cause violations,” Tito said.

Tito made the remarks during a speech at the 14th anniversary commemoration of DKPP in Jakarta on Friday. He assessed that a preventive approach should become a focus for the institution in order to minimise potential violations in the future.

“In the world of law enforcement, there is a doctrine known as ‘keep them out of jail’, keeping people from ending up in prison,” he stated.

Therefore, he expects DKPP, like other law enforcement bodies, not to adhere solely to a passive principle of waiting for reports or complaints before adjudicating.

“The success of an institution is not solely due to the number of violations discovered or the number of rulings handed down, but rather when violations can be prevented so that no one needs to be punished,” Tito said.

The Home Affairs Minister believes DKPP can take a more active role by helping to identify various factors that could potentially give rise to ethical violations in election administration.

These prevention efforts can be carried out by providing input on various regulations related to the electoral system, including planned revisions to the Election Law, the Regional Election Law, and the Political Party Law.

Furthermore, strengthening the prevention and guidance system must continue so that violations can be minimised ahead of future general and regional elections.